The Feelies at Maxwell's (10-16-1989)

On October 16th, 1989, The Feelies played at Maxwell’s! This particular show was a benefit gig to raise funds for an upgrade to the venue’s sound system. The Haledon, New Jersey band was feeling fun and loose on this October evening, as they played a whole lot of covers, including ones that remain in their arsenal today like “Paint It Black,” “Sedan Delivery,” and “Egyptian Reggae.” Longtime Feelies live sound engineer Andy Peters described the state of the club’s sound system at that time for a 2013 article in the Hollywood Reporter:

In 1989, Peters described the sound system as “rudimentary,” but was excited to learn. “The mixing console was an EV/TAPCO 12-channel thing with a channel EQ, one auxiliary send for stage monitors, two sends for effects — which were a Delta Lab Effection II and a Yamaha reverb that generated more hiss than reverb — and some lousy MXR graphic EQs for the house and the monitors. Amps were underpowered Yamahas. The monitors were the fiberglass Community boxes more commonly used for outside shows. The main PA was (on each side) a big metal horn with a JBL 2445 2″ driver (flown from the ceiling), a Perkins bin with a 15″ driver flown for mids, and another Perkins bin on the floor as a “subwoofer.”

1989 was a notable year in Feelies’ history. In September of 1988, they released their third full-length album, Only Life, on A&M Records, and in support of the record, they played several dates Europe. Additionally, they played a handful of concerts across the U.S. in support of Lou Reed. The band would go on to release their fourth full-length, Time For A Witness, in 1991, before disbanding shortly thereafter. The band reformed in 2008 and remain active. They’ve released two albums and continue to perform live to critical acclaim.